Periodontal Procedures




701 Washington Street Newtonville Massachusetts 02458 Tel: (617) 969-9676

Our Goal
	Our Goal is to provide you with the highest quality of care in a caring and safe environment. In order to do this, we use the most current periodontal procedures, instruments, medications, and sterilization techniques.
Sterilization
	We know that preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as AIDS, herpes, hepatitis and even the cold virus is critical and take sterilization very seriously. For this reason we use extensive sterilization procedures, going well beyond those recommended by the American Dental Association and Centers for Disease Control. We use barrier techniques such as disposable masks and gloves and change them for every patient. Every piece of equipment is wiped-down with antibacterial solution prior to every operatory procedure. Water lines and evacuation hoses are cleaned per the guidelines of the American Dental Association. We use autoclave sterilization for all instruments prior to dental examination and treatment. You can be assured that our staff have been specifically trained on sterilization procedures and their importance.
Patient Comfort
	While no dental procedure is 100% comfortable, we go to great lengths to minimize any discomfort you might feel. Many of our patients remark, "This wasn't even painful? How did you do that?" The following are some of the latest techniques we use to provide you with as comfortable an experience as possible.
	Pre-medication
	Patient comfort is one of the most important aspects of care. Different patients have different needs for pain-control medication. Depending upon the procedure and your wishes, there are many medications we can prescribe.
	Injections of Anesthesia
	Injections of dental anesthesia can become more painful if not precisely done or if the injection is done at too rapid a rate. We recognize this and take extra care when giving injections.
Basic Periodontal Treatment
	Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that gets under the gums and into the bone around your teeth. This infectious material must be removed and the area given a chance to heal. There are two generally accepted treatments for this depending upon the severity of your infection.
	Upper Level Infection Removal
	Bacterial infection which is in the upper levels of the pockets around your teeth can be removed using specialized instruments. This procedure is called tooth scaling and root planing. It is done under local anesthesia and is quite different from routine, or deep, cleaning which is traditionally done in the general dentist's office.
	Lower Level Infection Removal
	If your infection has gotten into the bone which supports your teeth, and is below the level that can be reached with specialized instruments, then a minor surgical procedure must be done to pull back the gums and remove the lower level infectious bacteria.
Other Procedures
	Crown Lengthening
	When getting a crown, the general dentist must prepare your tooth to receive the crown. Sometimes there is not enough tooth surface above the gumline to accomplish this. Crown lengthening provides more tooth for your crown. This ensures a more stable crown with less gum irritation afterwards. Also, if you have a "gummy" smile or uneven gum line, crown lengthening can help your teeth to look longer and more even. Procedure: The periodontist gives you a local anesthetic and gently removes excess gum and bone tissue to expose more of your natural teeth.
	Bone Grafting
	Your jaw bone is what supports your teeth and gums. Unfortunately, periodontal disease can eat away at your jaw bone and lead to tooth loss. In many cases, this lost bone can be partially grown back using various bone grafting techniques. Procedure: The periodontist gives you a local anesthetic and gently opens the area filling in the missing section with bone grafting material.
	Soft Tissue Grafting
	Longer teeth or exposed tooth roots can look unsightly. They can also increase your sensitivity to heat, cold or sweets. In some cases, gum tissue can placed in these areas. Procedure: The periodontist gives you a local anesthetic and gently places a gum tissue graft over the area.
	Antibiotic Treatment
	Some oral antibiotics can enhance the periodontal treatment. In certain isolated circmstances, placement of antibiotic chips or creams can reduce infection. Procedure: Oral Antibiotics, in cream or chip form, are precisely placed in isolated areas to improve healing. Afterwards the results are closely monitored during follow-up visits.
	Ridge Augmentation
	Sometimes after an extraction there will be a sunken in spot in your gum line. This looks unsightly and can jeopardize the appearance of a bridge which goes over this area. A soft tissue graft can be inserted to fill out this depression. Procedure: The periodontist gives you a local anesthetic and gently opens the area. He then fills the sunken area with a soft tissue graft.
	Dental Implants
	Implants are explained in their own separate section. Please click here.
Each procedure is done with your comfort and safety in mind. We work closely with your general dentist to ensure you get the best possible result in accordance with your general dentist's wishes. Please feel free to ask questions before, during or after any one of these procedures.